


Sound Spice

by endemictoearth



Category: My Mad Fat Diary
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-08 09:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4299318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endemictoearth/pseuds/endemictoearth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an alternate to the meeting between Rae and Olivia in the pub, where she stays and banter ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sound Spice

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of days ago, teastaindiary put out some open prompts (Fic Ideas Free to a Good Home, she called them.) The first one took my fancy and I just banged this out. So, this is if Rae had stayed at the pub and sort of bantered with Olivia, instead of running away. Not sure if it’s witty enough, but I kind of like where it ended up.

The gang were out at the pub. Well, everyone but Chloe. She was off with that bunch of older boys she’d been hanging around. Still, it almost felt like old times. Archie and Chop and Izzy and Rae joking and drinking and laughing.

However, Rae’s eyes kept darting to the door every time it opened. Chop had said Finn might bring Olivia to the pub tonight. So far, she’d successfully avoided facing this unpleasant reality. She’d just started to relax and trade barbs with Archie when the door opened again, and this time, in walked Finn and Olivia. Rae felt like the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. Archie patted her knee under the table, no doubt for solidarity, but it just reminded her of when Finn used to do that. She gulped down the rest of her snakebite, then regretted it, because she didn’t have anything to occupy herself with anymore. 

Finn greeted the gang, nodding at everyone. His eyes lighted on Rae’s and she thought they lingered a fraction of a second, but she tore her gaze away, not letting herself get caught up in fanciful imaginings. 

Olivia settled in across from her, and the urge to run was so great, Rae almost succumbed, the excuse forming in her mind and almost tumbling off her tongue. But when Olivia ordered a Bailey’s, Rae was surprised. She fairly smirked. A BAILEY’S? Christ. Then Finn asked her if she wanted a snakebite, and she found herself saying, “Nah, just a pint of Guinness for me. I don’t need anything fancy.”

As he shrugged and headed off the bar to place his order, Rae saw Olivia giving her the once-over. “Rae, is it?” she asked, the tone in her voice skirting the edge between knowing and innocent. 

“Yeah, that’s me. Good ol’ Rae. Raemundo, if you’re nice.” Why was she being so blokish? 

Olivia raised an eyebrow. “Raemundo? Where’s that from?”

Chop stood up proudly. “I christened her that first night we met ‘er. She’s a top lass, so I ‘ad to give ‘er a nickname.”

Olivia chuckled. “Sounds like a bloke’s name, but if you like it …” 

Rae narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Sometimes it’s nice to be seen as one of the lads. You get to know them better that way.”

“I don’t know if I’d want to know how Finn is when he’s just with the lads!” Olivia laughed again, but no one joined her, not even Izzy. 

Just then, Finn came back with a tray of drinks. “What’s goin’ on here, then?”

Rae and Olivia both smiled. “Nothin’,” Rae said. “We were just chatting.”

“Oh, good. That’s nice.” Olivia gave Rae a sharp look, and sipped her Bailey’s daintily.

Backstreet Boys came on the jukebox and the lads and Rae all groaned. “Not this shit again,” Finn muttered.

“They are literally killing music with this noise,” Rae whined.

Finn grinned at her. “Oh, yeah? Then why were you playin’ it in the common room the other week?”

Rae looked down, her face flushing. “Well, I’d taken some pretty bad advice that morning. I soon learned to ignore it, though.“ She held up her right hand. "I solemnly vow to never EVER play Backstreet Bullshit of my own free will again.”

Finn laughed. “Glad to hear you wised up.”

Olivia glanced between the two of them. “I don’t know what you two are on about. They’re not that bad.”

“Not that bad? They’re entirely manufactured! They didn’t even know each other before some guy auditioned them. They don’t write their own music; they don’t play their own instruments … You might as well have a load of robots up on stage!” Rae set her half-drunk pint of Guinness down on the table top as a punctuation to her speech.

Archie clapped her on the back, “Hear hear!” Chop nodded, too. “I told ya she was a top lass!”

Finn didn’t say anything, just smiled into his pint as he took a drink. 

Olivia turned to Izzy. “What do you think, Izzy?”

“Me? I can take ‘em or leave ‘em. I’m more of a Spice Girls fan.” 

“Spice Girls? Uh-oh. I’m sure Rae must dislike them, too. Rae? What do you think of the Spice Girls?”

Rae mused for a moment. “Well, their music is pretty shite, but they’re British, they’re girls, and they’ve got a good message. Plus, I like playin’ the game of which Spice everyone would be.” Rae set her pint down and sat back a bit. She didn’t want to get sloshed.

“Oh, yeah?” Olivia asked. “Which Spice am I, then?”

“Well, I don’t know ya that well … but I’d say you’re a Posh.”

Izzy smiled. “What about me?”

“You’re a cross between Ginger and Baby.”

“And you?” Finn asked the question quietly, staring into his pint.

“Huh?” Rae hadn’t expected this.

“Yeah, Rae, which Spice Girl are you?” Izzy asked, grinning.

Rae thought back to that morning in the car with her mum. She let out a short laugh. “Well, I’m sure as fuck not Sporty.”

Everyone laughed, but waited. “I don’t think I match any of the current Spices. I’d have to be me own flavor. Like, Low Thyroid Spice. Or Mad Spice!”

Olivia laughed loudly at this, but no one else did. Finn gave her a dirty look, but Olivia didn’t see it.

“No way, Rae!” Izzy piped up. “You’d be, like, Cool Spice, or …”

“—Awesome Spice!” said Archie.

“Nah nah nah, she’d be Bloody Brilliant Spice!” Chop declared.

Finn hadn’t said anything, and Olivia finally glanced over at him. “What do you think, Finn? What type of Spice would Rae be?”

He furrowed his eyebrows and cleared his throat. “I—She—“ He looked up at Rae, and must have seen how uncomfortable she was. Their eyes met for a moment, but then she looked away, fingers scratching the outside of her sleeve. “Sound Spice. ‘Cause she knows her music, and she’s sound as a pound.”

Rae’s gaze flew to Finn and he gave her a small smile, raising his glass to her. Everyone except Olivia and Rae did the same. “To Rae!” Everyone took a drink and Rae stood up. “I—I think I’d better go.”

Archie tugged on her sleeve. “What’re ya talkin’ about, sit down.”

“No, I … I didn’t mean …” Rae didn’t know what she meant or didn’t mean. She didn’t mean for everyone to sing her praises. Least of all Finn. And Olivia had gone very quiet. Rae felt that if she’d just gone as they came in, maybe things would have been better for Finn.

Olivia downed the rest of her Bailey’s in one long drink. “You know? I think I’d better be making tracks, actually. I’ve got work in the morning.” She stood up. “Finn? Will you walk me out?”

Finn put down his pint and nodded. “Sure thing.” He helped Olivia on with her jacket and dragged his on. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said.

Rae watched him walk out, arm around Olivia’s shoulders. He was taller and bigger than Olivia; they looked right together, walking out of the pub into the cool evening.

Archie nudged her. “Hey, Sound Spice. What’s on your mind?”

She shook her head. “Nothin’.”

“Can you believe her? I think Finn’s about ready to dump her. He only went out with her in the first place as a favor to Little Al.”

“What?” Rae turned to look at Archie, who had not been moderating his drinking. 

“Oops. I think that was supposed to be a secret.” Archie shrugged and took another swig of beer. “Anyway, they’re totally wrong for each other. Obviously.”

“Obviously?” Rae echoed.

“Yeah! She’s, like, got a mortgage. Her idea of fun is going to a wine bar and eating tapas or some shit.”

“So why’s he goin’ out with her at all?” Rae asked defensively.

Archie stared at her, open-mouthed. “You are shitting me, right?”

“Huh?”

“Rae! He’s trying to get over the girl who broke his heart.” When Rae didn’t respond, Archie continued. “That’s YOU, by the way.”

Izzy and Chop were making out on the other side of the table, or Rae would have shushed him.

“He can’t be that broken up about it. I’m not—“

“Rachel Earl. Don’t you dare say you’re not that great.”

Tears brimmed in Rae’s eyes. This was too much. This was exactly what she didn’t want. She didn’t want people saying nice things about her out of pity. That was almost as bad as being called names in the street. She just wanted to be ignored. Left alone.

Archie put his arm around her and squeezed. “Rae. Don’t get upset. We wouldn’t say it if we didn’t mean it. You ARE great.” He leaned around to give Rae a proper hug and when he pulled away, Rae opened her eyes. Finn was back. “Oi, cut it out, you two!” he joked, and pulled out his kit to roll a smoke. 

Rae wiped at her eyes to make sure there weren’t any tears still there. When she looked back at Finn, he gave her a quick wink and smiled. 

She smiled back. 


End file.
